Standardization of Steel Pole Design Using Discrete Optimization

An optimal design formulation is presented that incorporates the use of standard prefabricated sections for the design of steel transmission poles. This standardization is achieved by discretizing the design variables for the pole structure that correspond to the prefabricated sections available in a catalog. The cross-sectional shape and the steel grade are also treated as design variables for some solution cases. The cost function expression is altered for a case to include the cost of welding the pole joint. Optimal designs are obtained using a genetic algorithm, an enumeration method, and the simulated annealing method. From the results, it is concluded that standardization of the design of transmission poles can be implemented into the optimization process for practical applications.